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to specify which of these it is, because cinnamon bark oil is
a known dermal toxin and should never be used on the skin.
Cinnamon leaf oil contains the chemical constituent eugenol,
which can cause irritation to the mucus membranes; and you
wouldn’t want your dog to lick this remedy off his skin or fur.
While browsing my local health food store’s pet section, I noticed
some all-natural flea collars. One of the ingredients listed
was pennyroyal essential oil. I was shocked; one of the main
chemical constituents in pennyroyal, pulegone, is known to
cause abortions, and pennyroyal essential oil is also an oral
toxin. I would never put this on my dog for these two reasons.
Two summers ago, we had an unusually large number of mosquitoes
in Colorado. Our dogs were miserable and we were too,
so I decided it was finally time to attempt to make a remedy.
After much research and thought, I decided to put the following
essential oils together: geranium, lavender, lemongrass and
lemon eucalyptus.
I chose these specific essential oils for the following reasons:
Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens): The chemical constituent
citronellol helps makes this essential oil an insecticide. It also
helps with skin issues such as skin congestion and dermatitis.
Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia): One of its chemical constituents
is cineol, which may be why it is considered an insecticide.
Lavender is also very soothing to the skin so if there were any
skin flare-ups, this essential oil would help.
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus): Lemongrass has a high
concentration of the chemical constituent citral and contains
the chemical constituent citronellol which makes this essential
oil a very nice insecticide.
Lemon Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora): Its main insecticidal
chemical components are citronellal (70-75%) and citronellol.
There are a few species of eucalyptus oils that are considered
toxic, although if taken orally the dose would have to be 3.5
ml or more. According to Robert Tisserand’s book, Essential Oil
Safety, he considers Eucalyptus citriodora to be non toxic.
When I am creating a product for my dogs, I want it first to be
very safe. The proportions of the essential oils are low and diluted
in a spray bottle containing eight ounces of water. If an
animal starts to show any adverse reaction to the ingredients,
I stop using the product immediately. Some dogs dislike the
smell of these essential oils and that is a valid indication to stop
using them.
After receiving more phone calls from clients about an all-natural
dog fly spray, I decided to make a product from the oils listed
above. I’ve found it to be effective, but its effects are not longlasting
and it does need to be reapplied throughout the day.
With so many products and home remedies to choose from,
you need to read the ingredients carefully and then research
the ingredients before applying them to your dog, whether it
is an all-natural product or a chemical-based product from a
pharmaceutical company. Unfortunately, pet products are not
consistently regulated, so we can’t assume that all remedies on
the market are safe for our pets.
While all-natural remedies can be helpful, they are not 100% effective.
You may wish to take some other preventive measures
to combat these pests. Have a flea and tick comb on hand for
your dog and use it after a walk or after he has been playing outside.
Keep all the dog beds and your bedding clean, and keep
your floors and carpeting clean during the infestation season.
Our dogs are very sensitive beings, so be safe and think about
what remedies you choose! f
Frances Fitzgerald Cleveland’s ground breaking Animal Aromatherapy
work at The Denver Zoo with Orangutans, Gorillas
and Black Crested Macaques was covered in the Denver Post
and L.A.Times. Frances lives in Colorado where she teaches and
practices the art of working with essential oils and plants and
manufactures her internationally sold products.
Dogs Naturally Magazine | May/June2012
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